One of Toursanak ultimate goal is to enhance youth knowledge about environment, help to build a relationship between nature and us, create a sense of responsibility, understanding and mindfulness toward nature.
We have established 3 days & 2 nights educational environmental camping trip in Kirirom NP to promote and introduce these ideas to local students.
East West International School was among the first ones signing up for this experience.
The students were excited although we set up some rules. Smartphones will be used only to call to their parents, no social media, no loud music or speakers.
We encourage students to socialize, sing, express themself and spend some time apart of online world.
This is the only we can learn something about us, facing ourselves without any distraction.
When we arrived to Kirirom roundabout, the group of 15 and 16 years old students were able to hike around 7 km, slightly uphill.
This was their first challenge.
Arriving at the campsite, we started to teach participants where and how to choose and clear off a camping spot.
Afterwards students were trying to set up their own tents, helped to bring fire woods, prepare food and make a bonfire.
For most of them this was the very first experience of camping in the wood.
Our team set up bins near a campsite and students were taught not to litter in nature.
In the late afternoon, another challenge was to take a bath in cold water.
Within next two days, the group went to a viewpoints, played team building games, had fun with a treasure hunt and learnt more hornbills living in those woods.
We were pleased to see they are all coming back home with big smiles, new memories, experiences, friends and knowledge.
And what we hope for the most is they pass some of the good habits they learnt at the trip to to their peers.
Nature can exist without us, but we cannot live without nature.